


Waltz

by remanth



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dancing, First Kiss, Fluff, Johnlock - Freeform, M/M, Unrequited, waltz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-19
Updated: 2014-01-19
Packaged: 2018-01-09 08:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remanth/pseuds/remanth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John tries teaching himself how to waltz alone in the flat before Sherlock provides his own expertise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waltz

Sherlock stopped on the stairs heading up to the flat, listening intently. There were familiar footsteps up there, footsteps he hadn’t heard as often as he would have liked. But that’s what happened when people moved on, he supposed. But those footsteps were moving in an unfamiliar cadence, at least unfamiliar to the person those footsteps belonged to. Sherlock, after thinking a few moments, recognized the cadence and smiled. John was trying to waltz. Sherlock grinned to himself and hurried up the steps. Dancing was something he rather enjoyed even if no one but him (and possibly Mycroft) knew about it. 

“Damn it,” John grumbled as Sherlock opened the door quietly. The doctor dropped his arms to his sides, sighing loudly. “This shouldn’t be all that hard. Come on John, it’s just a waltz. With Mary, the woman you’re going to marry. You saved people. You killed people. You can do this damn dance.”

“Perhaps I can help?” Sherlock offered quietly, taking off his scarf and coat and tossing them onto the couch negligently. He’d probably be going out again soon and it was too much work to hang them up at the moment. “Wouldn’t want you fumbling on the big day.”

“You can dance?” John asked, surprised as he turned to study Sherlock. Sherlock just shrugged and looked away. “Sorry, that just never seemed like something you’d keep in that mind palace of yours.”

“I can dance, yes,” Sherlock replied, stepping forward and holding out his hands. “If you’d like to learn how to waltz for your wedding, I can teach you.”

John studied Sherlock for a moment before nodding and moving up to Sherlock. With only a little fumbling, after all they’d lived in each other’s back pocket for a few years before Sherlock’s fall, John let his right hand rest of Sherlock’s waist while his other held Sherlock’s hand out to the left. It felt oddly comfortable but John didn’t let himself look at that too closely. As long as he didn’t make an ass of himself on his wedding day, he was going to be happy. Sherlock took a deep breath as they finally situated their hands, forcing himself to stay calm. While he liked Mary, he really did, _John_ had chosen her and that’s why Sherlock accepted her. Even with the deduction he’d had that she was lying about something, for John’s sake, Sherlock would protect Mary just as he would (and had) protect John. But he’d be lying if he said he wouldn’t enjoy this moment to the fullest and store it away in his mind palace to remember.

“Now, John, you’re leading,” Sherlock explained, ignoring the fact that his voice had lowered just a bit. “You’re going to want to step forward with your left foot then bring your right up to meet it before sweeping it to the right. The next step would be to bring your left foot to meet your right.”

“I can do that, I remember that part,” John said. He parroted the steps Sherlock had just explained, keeping his head up and not on his feet. Looking down was not part of the waltz.

“Good, good John,” Sherlock praised John, smiling. “Now, the next part is a mirror of the first. Step back with your right foot, bring your left to meet it, then sweep it to the left. Finally, bring your right foot to meet your left.”

John led Sherlock through the finishing steps, ending back where they’d started. He smiled widely, happy to have finally gone through the simple steps without screwing them up. There was something about doing it himself, thinking about the next time that he’d be dancing, that made John so nervous he kept forgetting. But this wasn’t like the waltzes he’d seen on tv. Those were graceful and fluid things, full of motion and taking up the whole of the dance floor. Was this all Sherlock was going to teach him?

“Of course, these are just the basic steps,” Sherlock said before John could even open his mouth. The question was written clearly across John’s face and Sherlock had been studying him carefully. “I thought we’d start with the beginning and go on from there.”

“All right, what’s next?” John asked curiously. “I’ve never been much of a dancer.”

“How about I show you?” Sherlock asked, tilting his head to the side a little bit. He had to admit, dancing like this was nice. Though it felt a bit too much like a goodbye. “Just follow me but keep your hands in the same position. You need to learn the steps in the lead position.”

John nodded and followed as Sherlock stepped back and moved in slow circles across the floor. This was the part that had always baffled John, the actual moving around while waltzing. Moving in one spot was easy but keeping track of the steps while moving his partner around the dance floor had never actually worked. But Sherlock moved them effortlessly, avoiding the chairs and the couch and the coffee table. This felt so natural and comfortable that John felt himself relax and start to enjoy the dance. Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to dance with Mary on their wedding day. John felt like he was absorbing the movements into his bones, communicated through his feet and his hands.

Sherlock, for his part, was enjoying the waltz immensely. Every time John had touched him over the course of their friendship had been burned into his mind. John had a whole wing of his mind palace by now and had infiltrated parts even Sherlock hadn’t realized yet. This moment was being recorded and stored carefully, somewhere Sherlock could study it whenever he wanted. When John took a deep breath and relaxed into his hold, Sherlock felt his lips stretch into a wide smile. Granted, John was doing more holding with his hand on Sherlock’s waist but Sherlock was the one teaching right now. Was the one leading John through this dance that had come to mean so much to Sherlock in just a short time. But even this golden moment would come to an end and Sherlock would have to let go. Just one more thing, one more surprise he could give to John to share with Mary.

“Think you’ve got it now?” Sherlock asked after they’d danced in the silence of their flat for several minutes. John was moving smoothly now, having taken the lead about halfway through and directing Sherlock around and around the floor.

“Yeah, I got it,” John replied, stilling their movements but not dropping Sherlock’s hand. Or even moving away. “Thank you.”

“There’s just one more thing,” Sherlock said. “You can surprise Mary at the end by dipping her. That’s when you’d kiss her.”

John tilted his head to the side as he thought about that, picturing it in his mind. It would be sweet and adorable and loving, the best end he could think of to their first dance as a married couple. He nodded and felt a thrill of mischievousness run through him. Sherlock had taught him this much, why not the final piece? With a smirk tugging at his lips, John let go of Sherlock’s hand and cupped the back of his neck. Gentle pressure tipped Sherlock backwards until he was in danger of falling if John let go. But Sherlock felt no fear; he knew John wouldn’t drop him. The doctor had shown his strength a few times and Sherlock knew he was quite safe. From falling at least. His breath stuttered to a halt as John was just a few inches away from him, staring down into his eyes with such intensity that Sherlock wondered if this was how people felt when he was deducing them.

“I’d kiss her now?” John asked intently, breath feathering over Sherlock’s lips. Sherlock could only nod and force himself not to bridge that small gap between them. John had chosen Mary, not him. He had no right no matter how right it might feel right now. They stayed in that position for a timeless moment, John debating furiously with himself over the idea of kissing Sherlock. He loved Mary, he truly did, but in this moment, he realized just how much Sherlock meant to him. That was the deciding factor, that and knowing this was the end. John leaned down and pressed his lips to Sherlock’s in a light kiss. It was “I’m sorry” and “Thank you” and “You mean so much” all compressed into one touch.

“Boys, you’ve got some mail!” Mrs. Hudson said brightly, stepping into the flat and brandishing a stack of letters. “Oh! Have I interrupted?”

“No, Mrs. Hudson,” John said quickly, pulling Sherlock back up and letting him go. “Sherlock was teaching me how to dance and we were just finishing up. I wanted my first dance with Mary to be perfect.”

Sherlock nodded and snatched the letters from Mrs. Hudson, stalking through the little hallway to his room. He could still feel John’s lips on his and didn’t want anyone else to see. Mrs Hudson winked at John before nodding and letting herself out. Honestly, she’d expected that long before and had been surprised she’d never walked in on John and Sherlock like that before. John stared at the closed door to Sherlock’s room, wondering if he should intrude. But what could he say? Everything that could be done had been. Shrugging into his coat, John quietly closed the door to the flat and headed downstairs. His new life was calling and John was committed to it. No matter how hard his old life might be calling too.


End file.
